CHICAGO (AP) Cubs manager David Ross had to remind himself Monday
night that Chicago was still two days away from opening the
playoffs against the Miami Marlins.
Game 1 of their best-of-three wild-card series is Wednesday at
Wrigley Field. And Ross can’t wait.
”I was laying in bed last night, feeling like today was the day
the games were starting,” he said Tuesday. ”Having to kind of say
over and over in your head, ‘The game’s not tomorrow, it’s not
tomorrow.’ You’re anxious to get started.”
The Cubs won the NL Central at 34-26 in Ross’ first season,
reaching the playoffs for the fifth time in six years.
It wasn’t exactly an easy ride, though.
Yu Darvish put himself in contention for the NL Cy Young Award, but
Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, Anthony Rizzo and Willson Contreras each
struggled as the offense sputtered. Despite that, the club led the
division almost wire to wire after missing the postseason last year.
”You get that excitement, that butterfly feeling just like you do
every time – but just a little bit more because we’re back, we
missed it last year,” slugger Kyle Schwarber said.
It’s been a much longer wait for the Marlins, in the playoffs for
the first time since winning the 2003 World Series. They knocked
off the Cubs in a memorable NLCS that year before taking out the
New York Yankees. They won the World Series in their only other
trip to the playoffs, beating Cleveland for the title in 1997.
After losing 105 games last year, the Marlins finished second in
the NL East at 31-29 – their first winning record since 2009.
They overcame a coronavirus outbreak at the start of the season
that sidelined more than half the team, and navigated a closing
stretch that included 28 games in 24 days. The acquisition of
center fielder Starling Marte from Arizona at the trade deadline
and the emergence of rookie right-hander Sixto Sanchez gave them a
big lift.
”We’ve played some unbelievable games, had the hardest schedule in
the league,” outfielder Corey Dickerson said. ”That can’t be
overlooked. We’re a good ballclub top to bottom. If you look at us,
I think we match up well with almost any team.”
Here are some things to know:
FOR STARTERS
The Cubs will go with Kyle Hendricks in the opener and Darvish on
Thursday, with Jon Lester on Friday if necessary. The Marlins will
counter with Sandy Alcantara in the opener, Sanchez in Game 2 and
Pablo Lopez if there’s a Game 3.
Hendricks was third in the majors in innings and was particularly
sharp down the stretch, with a 1.45 ERA in five outings in
September. The Cubs could have gone with Darvish on his usual four
days’ rest. But Ross chose Hendricks, who hasn’t pitched since
Wednesday.
”It’s a huge honor for me to get the nod from Rossy for Game 1,
but at the end of the day, we all know what Yu’s done this year,”
Hendricks said. ”He’s our ace. He’s the guy. He’s been dominant
all year long. If this was a one-game-playoff kind of thing, he
would be the guy, obviously.”
FLASHBACK
The series is sure to stir memories of the 2003 NLCS.
The lasting image happened in Game 6 at Wrigley Field, with the
Cubs leading 3-0 in the eighth. Just five outs from their first
pennant since 1945, fan Steve Bartman deflected Luis Castillo’s
foul ball as Cubs left fielder Moises Alou tried to make a leaping
catch.
Chicago gave up eight runs in the inning, hurt by shortstop Alex
Gonzalez misplaying a potential inning-ending double play, in an
8-3 loss. The Cubs were eliminated in Game 7, extending a
championship drought that stretched from 1908 to 2016.
”We talk about it a lot, obviously,” said Marlins president of
baseball operations Michael Hill, who joined the front office in
2002. ”I don’t think the ball was catchable myself. I think the
bigger play was the Alex Gonzalez error on the Miguel Cabrera
groundball. That was the huge difference-maker. … An eight-run
eighth. A miraculous comeback. That propelled us into one of the
most exciting Game 7s I can ever remember watching.”
BIG SWINGS
The Cubs ranked among the worst in the majors with a .220 average
and had the fifth-highest strikeout total.
But they scored 25 runs in taking two of three from the
playoff-bound Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field to finish
the regular season, with Bryant hitting homers in the final two
games. And they hope its carries into the playoffs.
LONGSHOT
At 33-1, no team is facing longer odds to win the World Series than
the Marlins. They were outscored by 41 runs.
But with their young pitchers, strong farm system and manageable
payroll, they think they are built to last.
CALLING ON KIMBREL
Though he struggled early and lost the closer job to Jeremy
Jeffress, Craig Kimbrel could be called on in big spots after a
strong September. The seven-time All-Star did not allow a run in
eight appearances and struck out 13 without a walk in 7 1/3 innings.
A capsule look at the best-of-three playoff series between the
Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs beginning Wednesday. All games in
Chicago:
—
MIAMI MARLINS
Record: 31-29.
Playoff Entry: second place, NL East.
Playoff Seed: No. 6.
Manager: Don Mattingly (fifth season).
Projected Rotation: RHP Pablo Lopez (6-4, 3.61 ERA, 59 Ks), RHP
Sandy Alcantara (3-2, 3.00), RHP Sixto Sanchez (3-2, 3.46).
Top Hitters: 1B Jesus Aguilar (.277, 8 HRs, 34 RBIs), SS Miguel
Rojas (.304, 4, 20, .888 OPS).
Top Relievers: RHP Brandon Kintzler (2-3, 2.22 ERA, 12 saves), RHP
Brad Boxberger (1-0, 3.00).
Series Summary: The Marlins are in the playoffs for the first time
since 2003, when they rallied past the Cubs in an NL Championship
Series famous for the Steve Bartman episode at Wrigley Field. Then
the Marlins beat the New York Yankees in the World Series. …
After losing 105 games last year, Miami finished with a winning
record for the first time since 2009. The club overcame a
coronavirus outbreak at the start of the season that sidelined more
than half the team, and navigated a closing stretch that included
28 games in 24 days. The acquisition of CF Starling Marte at the
trade deadline and the emergence of rookie Sanchez in the rotation
helped push them over the finish line.
—
CHICAGO CUBS
Record: 34-26.
Playoff Entry: NL Central champions.
Playoff Seed: No. 3.
Manager: David Ross (first season).
Projected Rotation: RHP Kyle Hendricks (6-5, 2.88 ERA), RHP Yu
Darvish (8-3, 2.01, 93 Ks), LHP Jon Lester (3-3, 5.16).
Top Hitters: CF Ian Happ (.258, 12 HRs, 28 RBIs), RF Jason Heyward
(.265, 6, 22), 3B Kris Bryant (.206, 4, 11), SS Javier Baez (.203,
8, 24), 1B Anthony Rizzo (.222, 11, 24), C Willson Contreras (.243,
7, 26).
Top Relievers: RHP Jeremy Jeffress (4-1, 1.54 ERA, 8/10 saves), RHP
Craig Kimbrel (0-1, 5.28, 2 saves).
Series Summary: The Cubs are back in the playoffs for the fifth
time in six years after missing out last season. They made it
despite a .220 batting average that ranked among the majors’ worst.
They were also fifth in strikeouts. Bryant, Baez, Rizzo and
Contreras all struggled. The Cubs also had issues in the bullpen,
but their rotation was a strength, with Hendricks his usual steady
self and Darvish making a push for the NL Cy Young Award. Things
get a little dicey behind them, with the 36-year-old Lester posting
the highest ERA of his 15-year career.
***Report courtesy of Metro Source Networks***
